With yesterday's news of layoffs at Mythic, the MMO blogosphere is on fire with speculation and opinions. According to many, everything is to blame for these staff cuts, from World of Warcraft to software piracy. In the worst job market in almost 30 years, we can't help but think the recession plays a large part. Despite the reasons for these layoffs and "restructuring" by EA, there's always that underlying fear that Warhammer Online may be the next victim.

But we want to know what you think, faithful readers. Do you think WAR is doomed, or is this "restructuring" (along with the recent news of an unlimited free trial) part of a plan to ultimately save the game?

Gamasutra is reporting that another 80 layoffs have hit Mythic Entertainment as well as several other Electronic Arts studios, although Mythic was the only MMO group to feel the sting of sudden unemployment. That would equate to 40% of the team, which would make for a brutal staff blow. Our best wishes go out to everyone finding themselves without a job and we sincerely hope they all find steady work as soon as possible.

What does this mean for Warhammer Online, exactly? In light of the new Endless Trial it seems like EA is doing everything it can to squeeze profit from the project, which began with a bang last year, but unfortunately fizzled out soon after Wrath of the Lich King hit. And now with Mythic assisting BioWare on Star Wars: The Old Republic, along with maintaining Dark Age of Camelot and Ultima Online, you would be forgiven for seeing dark clouds collecting in the skies above.

Nevertheless, there should be people still working on new content for Warhammer Online, at least in theory. So hopefully we'll hear something soon, such as a boxed expansion, which would raise spirits quite significantly at this point.

[Edit: This is no longer a rumor as it has been confirmed]

Hackers, as everyone knows, were scheduled to be the mirror class to Choppas... wait, no, that's not right. We're not talking about one of the classes of Warhammer Online, we're talking about that scourge of the paying and fair-playing populace of every MMO. The most recent developer diary on the game's official site is with John Cox, development manager, discussing some of the ways and means that allows Mythic to fight against the scourge of hacking and try and keep the game on the level.

Cox discusses a number of techniques, starting with the most obvious: that several people working on fighting the hacks are part of hacking communities, observing silently and sometimes even testing them internally to develop a response. He also discusses why some of the progress on fighting illegal behavior is a bit slower than the community would like, and why it's not always as possible to shut things down straightaway on the server end. With a discussion of some of the holes in detection, which includes an explanation of why the game briefly had Vista users almost universally flagged as hackers, it's an interesting look behind the scenes at Warhammer Online's efforts to fight the good fight. (That is, the one not involving Order versus Destruction.)

The endless trial has arrived in the land of Warhammer Online, and it's quite the offer. Of course, we've reported on the actual trial before but as of today (post-maintenance) it's officially enacted within the game. So if you've been waiting to go back and check things out but didn't feel like re-subbing or somehow missed out on all the excitement of the game's launch last year, then now is the perfect time to get in and take a look. If you're not sure what the heck this whole "endless trial" thing is all about, here's a handy official FAQ to peruse.

We think it's a good if not bold concept, especially considering players only have to download 1gig of data before the game will dynamically stream the rest as they play. Hopefully it works out for Mythic, who've been putting much blood, sweat and tears in trying to improve perception since its heady launch days.

When traveling alone in the woods, it's generally a good idea to remain on your guard. This is especially true in Warhammer Online, where the forces of Order and Destruction are locked in a never-ending battle for supremacy. Thankfully, this cautious lady happens to have an enormous feline companion at her side, just ready to chow down on anyone or anything interested in attacking her. Today's great Warhammer Online One Shots was sent in to us by Yavvy, who didn't explain what she seems to be defending against, only noting that this is a: Rank 8 White Lion, having just entered Hunter's Vale.

Do you have screenshots of your favorite game that you haven't sent in to us yet? If so, why are you holding back? You should gather those up and send them to us here at oneshots AT massively.com. We can always use more screenshots to show off.

It's a kind of disconcerting time to be a Warhammer Online fan, let's face it. Patch 1.3.2 had a lot of people muttering quietly (or loudly on the comment threads of posts related to it) that the game is floundering for direction and trying to latch on to something to keep it afloat. This is one way to view things, but hardly the only way. Bio Break has an interesting take on it -- they're not floundering for direction, they're working hard to regain their footing. The game that was meant to go toe-to-toe with World of Warcraft didn't quite make it there, but Mythic hasn't been letting the game sink and falter.

The post is specifically addressing the contorversy that came around regarding the shift to unlimited free trials within tier one, the game's introductory content. It sounds a bit fishy, but as pointed out, the shift to "unlimited free trial" has done wonders for Dungeons and Dragons Online, boosting its revenue by a fair amount. While Warhammer Online hasn't yet gone down the same road, it's clear that they're continuing to push forward with the game and find new ways to expand the gameplay experience. If you are one of the many fans whose complaints about recent developments have been less than optimistic, you might want to think about this, as the game hasn't given up the ghost just yet.

In all the hype over the new games being released these days, one might think that older MMOs would fall by the wayside as players scramble to snap up the latest offering on the market. Not so, says Tim Cotten in a recent interview with Gamasutra. The lead designer of Ultima Online says the game is still going strong.

Ultima Online has "got a very core player base, and not a small one", says Cotten. A good MMO will earn player loyalty no matter how long it's around, and Ultima Online is still enjoying that player base after twelve years. They recently invited former players to return for a couple of free weeks, and new content is still a feature -- the eighth expansion was just released in September. Cotten hints at lots more to come too: "UO itself, if you want to go for a historical timeline, we're only around Ultima VI; we've got tons more of content left to play with."

It looks like there's definitely something to be said for old favorites. Keep it up, UO!

There have been some big changes in Warhammer Online of late -- that's undeniable. But the game is pressing steadily onward, making a major change that oddly hasn't altered a single element of the gameplay. No, this change is entirely targeted at the players, as the game has now launched the Macintosh version of its client. They've been hinting at it and talking about it for quite some time, but it has gone live and is available, complete with full support for the game's free trial for any Mac gamers still on the fence regarding whether or not they want to dive in.

Certainly there's been some discussion among the game's community about whether or not the Mac client has been necessary or even desirable, with the common statement being "well, everyone can just run Boot Camp for it." But there's no doubt that a native solution is better than a workaround, and it makes the game more appealing to people who would prefer not to fuss around with Boot Camp. Take a look at the official question-and-answer page to see the details about the new client, or if you'd rather be a malcontent, start demanding Warhammer Online for Linux next.

Warhammer Online has turned once again to the community for their questions, and the result was -- unsurprisingly -- a number of questions about the game's now-live Halloween event, Daemon Moon Rising. That means that the most recent grab bag has slightly fewer questions that are relevant to the game as a whole, but far more that are relevant to the things that every player wants to know at the moment. Namely, how do you get your masks, where do you get them, and what do the masks do?

The downside (for those of us familiar with the setting) is that there will be no Skaven-themed masks this year. On the other hand, nearly everything else in here provides some solid information and a nice confirmation that the only thing recycled from last year's event are some of the masks. The iconic and much-coveted Leather Face Mask can be obtained by winning a Daemonball Rally match, an RvR holiday event similar in execution to football. The question grab bag also offers some teases of the ultimate event reward, which promises to be a notable (if temporary) buff for anyone who takes aim at it. Take a look at what's in the event, and then you might be well-served to log in and take part in the festivities.

It can be safely said that every Warhammer Online player was absolutely in love with the changes made in patch 1.3.2, for a given value of "every Warhammer Online player" or a very interesting definition of "absolutely in love." Okay, the patch might not have actually been as well-received as all that. There was some controversy, more so than the usual patch day wailing and gnashing of teeth. Love it or hate it, it's hard to claim that the community team is unaware of the fact that they made some large changes and debated choices, which is no doubt part of the reason that Jeff Skalski gave a short interview to MMORPG.com regarding the changes.

If you didn't like the changes, of course, it's unlikely that you'll like the general tone of the interview. Skalski outlines the reasons behind each change and why he feels they were the right choices for the game as a whole, even if they weren't all received warmly by the existing player base. He is, however, clearly very aware of the criticism and complaints that have been leveled for each change, and does his best to address them in turn with a calm attitude and a touch of humor. Take a look at the full interview for a bit more about the process and the rationale, even if you're still a little miffed about where your Shadow Warrior starts off these days.

GameX, the Northeastern video game industry summit and expo, is starting tomorrow! As we said earlier this week, we'll be there, getting face time with guests, visiting Mythic Entertainment and Hi-Rez Studios, and getting you information on some of your favorite titles.

In addition to our coverage here on the site, we'll be updating our Twitter account with things we see at the expo and pictures! Now instead of running to us every five minutes for your Massively fix, you can get updates, pictures, and more from us in the form of tweets! If you're not currently following @massively, or if you're not on Twitter, now is the time to both sign up and add us to your follow list!

While you might initially think that the above is an interesting fall shot on an overcast day, sadly, it is the home of an ever-raging war - Warhammer Online style! Sandwiched between Ostland and Reikland, this region is a contested area, full of the sounds of battle. The smoke in the air and tattered windmill in the distance give the lie to this being a nice, simple fall image. Sent in to us by Deltex, who is on the Karak Norn EU Warhammer Online server, he noted "this is the view of Tabacaland (sic) destroyed by WAR."

One Shots is all about reader submissions, so while you're out running around - grab a screenshot for us. (Please make sure your images are 1024px across, and have no UI in them!) Once you've got one you like, email it to us at oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it out here and give you the credit!

Love it or hate it, opinions have been divided, but the changes made to Warhammer Online in the 1.3.2 patch -- most notably the changes to the starting experience -- have certainly gotten people talking. But it's one thing to discuss it in the abstract and another to see how things play out. The opportunity is now in the hands of the game's players, as the patch has gone live and all of its changes are there for everyone to try.

Rather than locking things down and leaving them there, however, producer Jeff Skalski has released an open letter to the community explaining why some of the changes were made and what changes are coming in the game's next patch, 1.3.3. Cosmetic changes include the options to walk and sit (instead of constantly running and standing) and additions to the game's graphical engine. More far-reaching is the implementation of the Underdog System: a series of running handicaps designed to help bring the side that's consistently losing into better parity with their opponents. Skalski explains in brief how such a system will work and how it will avoid unbalancing matches in the other direction, as well as discussing some of the larger issues Warhammer Online plans to address. If you haven't been playing or you took a break, see what has changed and what's coming, since now is the time to give the game a look.

Warhammer Online has been making some big changes with their upcoming patch 1.3.2, which naturally leads to a number of player questions about the finer points of interaction between the changes and the present game state. The developers have sat down for another question grab bag, this one focusing heavily on the changes and how they'll impact both items and abilities, as well as the ongoing issues of class balance.

Unfortunately, a number of answers to rather pressing questions (such as whether or not RvR weapons that match the PvE equivalent-tier weapon will be introduced) is the age-old developer mantra of "we're talking about it, but we have no firm details." Still, there's some useful information for those curious about how the removal of Forts will affect the game and obtaining high-end equipment, some information regarding stacking and tuning abilities, and a few interesting tips regarding communication and transport between players. If you're hungry for more information regarding the latest and greatest changes coming to Warhammer Online, you can take a look at the full grab bag on the official site.